


My Best Friend Since the Third Grade

by NoheaAloha



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Childhood Friends, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, JJ gets the friend he deserves, Pogues (Outer Banks), Pre-Canon, Running Away
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:27:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26039422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoheaAloha/pseuds/NoheaAloha
Summary: "That's JJ. My best friend since the third grade."A look at JJ through John B.'s eyes.
Relationships: JJ & Kiara & Pope & John B. Routledge, JJ (Outer Banks) & John B. Routledge
Comments: 48
Kudos: 180





	1. Chapter 1

John B. and JJ became friends pretty fast in third grade when they were put in the same class. They had a lot in common. They both liked to play zombie warriors at recess, were in the same low reading group and loved the color blue since it reminded them of the ocean. John B. felt a connection to JJ on the very first day, when they had been forced to share that their families didn’t consist of any moms (at least consistently) or siblings when the teacher made them go around the circle introducing themselves. 

They also had a lot of differences. Like how John B. was a slow reader, but JJ struggled with even the simple sight words on the easy first grade level books their teacher got just for their group. JJ would shut down when it was his turn to read, after some of the other kids in their group called him the “r” word on the playground. JJ had pushed them both over and then been sent to sit on the bench, so John B. helped by hovering over the kids when they were on the ground and telling them to think twice before messing with him and JJ again.

JJ also shared with John B. that his dad scared him and told him he liked to drink a lot. He told him that he would sometimes forget to buy JJ new clothes and shoes that fit and that sometimes he would steal small things from the local stores if his dad forgot to buy them, like toothpaste and soap. He told him that his mom went away a lot to “get some space” and that his grandma could take her letters for him, but reading hers and writing back to her was too hard for him so he hadn’t heard from her in a while. He said his dad got mad when he asked him to help him read them. John B. promised to help him with that.

JJ was always full of energy and was always talking a mile a minute, coming up with plans and adventures and daring John B. to do new things. He was the reason John B. had a bright green cast on his arm for all of February and some of March in third grade and the reason why he got in trouble during class for talking. But John B. was always excited when JJ came up with an idea or a dare. He was like the brother he never had. 

At first, JJ was hesitant to go over to John B.’s house, making up excuses whenever he asked him to come home with him. He asked him about his dad and asked if his dad liked to yell or was ever mean to him. John B. told him that his dad was nice and loved him a lot, but spent a lot of time working so John B. got bored and lonely at home. JJ agreed to come over once he said that. He told John B. that he got lonely at home too and that as his best friend he vowed to save him from his boredom.

The first time JJ came home with John B., Big John pulled into the driveway while they were climbing the big tree by the dock. John B. jumped down from the tree and rushed over to greet his dad, while JJ lingered nervously, climbing down slowly and staying back. He loosened up slowly over the course of the year when he saw that Big John never yelled, never told JJ he had to go home and largely stayed in his office when he was over. 

In fourth grade, JJ and John B. became friends with Pope. Pope hadn’t been in their class last year, but was this year and became their friend when John B. stood up for him against some fifth grade bullies in the lunch line. He saw JJ steal their Oreos and put them in his pocket as revenge.

Pope was also good at encouraging JJ and John B. to do some homework, telling them that he isn’t allowed to walk home with them and play after school if he didn’t do his work first. John B. knew he even helped JJ write a letter to his mom and send it, borrowing an envelope from his dad’s store and promising to help him read his mom’s letter when he got it. 

Fourth grade was also the time when John B. first noticed that sometimes JJ would miss a lot of school. He had been there almost everyday in third grade, but in fourth grade it wasn’t uncommon for him to miss two, three or even four days of school in a week. He and Pope even asked their teacher if she knew where he was the first time it happened and she said she hadn’t heard from his dad. She did tell them that he was probably sick and not to worry too much. 

Whenever JJ showed up at school again after one of his absences, he would be quieter and less like the JJ they were used to. It took a whole school day to shake him out of his weird mood and he had less energy on those days. John B. was worried one time when he saw a bruise on JJ’s stomach when they were hanging upside down from a tree branch. When he asked JJ, he got moody and walked over to another tree to climb without answering him. John B. didn’t ask again for a while when he noticed other things like that, thinking that JJ probably fell doing one of his tricks or stunts. 

In spring of fourth grade, JJ didn’t come to school for a whole week and wasn’t back the following Monday either. When John B. and Pope asked Ms. Johnson, she told them that the school had called JJ’s dad to see what was wrong and that if they didn’t hear back by tomorrow, they would send someone to check on him.

John B. and Pope weren’t planning on waiting until tomorrow. After doing their homework, they decided they were going to bike over to JJ’s house and see if they could check on him themselves. They knew where he lived but had never been inside his house, picking him up outside on their bikes a few times. 

JJ's mailbox looked like it had been run over by a car, laying on it’s side at the end of their dirt driveway. JJ's dad’s truck was outside when they got there, which made them both look at each other nervously. They knew from JJ that his dad had a temper and they had been hoping he wouldn’t be there. Walking up to the door, Pope and John B. played rock paper scissors to decide who had to knock and talk to Mr. Maybank. John B. pushed Pope when he lost, Pope laughed as he went down the steps to let John B. take center stage.

JJ’s dad was not happy to see them and said JJ wasn’t home. When John B. asked where he was, Luke looked him up and down before telling them that “the little shit” probably went to the beach. Pope and John B. exchanged looks as the door was slammed on them, shocked at hearing JJ's dad talk that way about their friend. 

When they got to the part of the beach they knew was JJ’s favorite, they saw him sitting in the sand, a hoodie over his head and his knees tucked up to his chin, his arms wrapped around them. It was unlike JJ to sit so still, and Pope and John B. were unsure of what to say when he didn’t answer their greeting. 

They asked him where he had been and told them they were worried about him. They told him that Ms. Johnson was also worried about him and was going to send someone to check on him if he wasn’t at school tomorrow. JJ’s eyebrows shot up at that, overly long blonde hair falling into his eyes before he went back to staring at the waves. 

John B. and Pope decided to build a fort out of sand next to JJ, giving him time to open up to them while still being by his side. When they were done, the sun was starting to set and the fort's sand walls surrounded the three of them, making it hard to see the waves. 

It took John B. and Pope a few seconds to realize that JJ had started crying. John B. wrapped his arm around JJ’s shoulder and asked him what was wrong while Pope awkwardly reached out a hand and put it on JJ’s tucked in knee. 

JJ explained to them in short, jumbled sentences that he had been with his mom last weekend and that she had gotten high and driven him back to his dad’s, where his parents had gotten into a screaming match before his mom peeled away from the house, hitting their mailbox on her way out. He cried when he told them how his dad had grabbed him and yelled at him for making his mom leave. 

He told them how his grandma had called him later that night and told him he needed to be a good boy if he wanted to help his mom. She told him his mom was upset and was going to go away again for a while with some of her friends to clear her head. He told them how his dad had gotten drunk and hurt him the next day, and how he stayed home because he was too sad to go back to school, spending his days wandering the beach and staying in his room. 

John B. and Pope didn’t know what to do, seeing their tough, energetic, daredevil friend so upset and hearing about all of the scary things he had been through. They didn't even really know what JJ meant when he said his mom got high. They both hugged him and John B. promised that they would look out for him. They promised that they wouldn’t keep secrets anymore and that JJ could tell them anything.

John B. wanted to help JJ but wasn’t sure what to do. John B. loved JJ, but he knew JJ had a lot of scary things that happened to him. And that worried him. He didn't know what to do with those feelings. So he picked up some sand and dumped it down JJ’s shirt, laughing when JJ got up and chased him. 

He may not know what to do to fix everything, but he sure as hell knew how to be JJ’s friend.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the summer before fifth grade, JJ decides to run away. John B. doesn't let him do it alone.

In the summer before John B. and JJ started fifth grade, they ran away for a whole night and day together. 

JJ had scared John B. by knocking on his window when he was asleep one night in July. John B. had thought it was a monster trying to get to him before he saw his best friend’s face peering through the window at him. 

John B. ran over right away and opened the window so that JJ could crawl through. JJ had never done this before and John B. was automatically excited for what JJ had planned for them. 

JJ had brought his backpack with him and John B. had noticed how it was extra full. It looked heavy. When he asked JJ what he was doing here, JJ had told him that he needed to run away and that he was here to say goodbye forever. JJ was brave but John B. could tell he was scared.

When John B. had started to get his backpack and pack his favorite things in it, JJ had asked him what he was doing. John B. would never forget how big JJ’s smile was when he told him that he couldn’t run away without him. 

John B. left JJ sitting on his bed while he snuck into the kitchen to grab them some food. He had written a note to his dad telling him that he had to run away with JJ and not to worry about them. He told him they would be back before fifth grade started. 

When he came back from getting the snacks, he noticed that JJ was crying. He tried to pretend he wasn’t but he couldn’t hide it from John B. When he asked JJ why he was crying before their big adventure, he had just shrugged. John B. had decided that maybe he was going to miss his dad too.

They both snuck out of John B’s window after he had put their snacks into his backpack and zipped it up. John B. asked JJ where they were going and JJ had told him that he wanted to go to Disneyworld. 

John B. got even more excited and asked JJ if he knew how to get there. JJ said he knew it was in Florida and that they had to go on the ferry first. When John B. told him the ferry didn’t run at night time, JJ said they could sleep on the beach until then. John B. agreed because that sounded like a good plan.

They had started walking towards the beach when John B. noticed that JJ was walking really slowly and it looked like his right foot hurt him.

He asked JJ what was wrong, but JJ ignored him. When they got to their secret spot on the beach that only they knew about, John B. pulled out some of his snacks and handed some to JJ. He was probably hungry since he had been awake most of the night.

JJ said he wasn’t hungry and started to cry again. John B. started to get really worried. He asked JJ if he wanted him to go get his dad so Big John could help him because he realized something was really wrong with JJ. JJ never turned down food and he never really cried. 

When he asked him that, JJ got mad at him and said that he couldn’t get his dad because they were running away and that’s not how running away worked. He asked him if he could tell him a secret and John B. told him he could always tell him secrets. 

JJ took off his sneaker and his sock and showed him his right foot. It looked fat and was bruised and it looked like it hurt a lot. John B. didn’t know how JJ had been walking and climbing through windows with his foot like that. He told JJ he was really tough for walking on that and asked him what happened. 

JJ made his swear again that he wouldn’t tell anyone. Once John B. had pinkie promised him, he told him how his dad had made him help him earlier. He told John B. how he and his dad had been working on a ‘secret project’, making cargo hides. JJ's dad had told him that he couldn’t tell anyone about it and that he needed some help to finish it before his boss needed it. 

He told John B. how he had helped his dad and his dad had even told him that he was good at making stuff, just like he was. He started to cry again when he talked about how he had accidentally spilled some juice on his dad’s project and it had made a big stain. He said his dad had gotten really mad and pushed him over and a big tool from the table had fallen on his foot and his dad hadn't cared. 

JJ said that after his dad got mad, he had drank a lot of his favorite drink and then fallen asleep on the couch. He explained that when his dad was asleep, he had tried to go and fix the juice stain on the cargo hide by using water and soap to try to scrub it off. He said it made the whole spill way worse and that he was scared that his dad was going to kill him when he woke up. 

He was crying a lot and taking big gulping breaths. John B. immediately went over to him and sat next to him, putting his arm around him and telling JJ that he wouldn’t let anyone kill him.

John B. told JJ that his dad would probably forget by the time they came back from running away. JJ told John B. that his dad never forgot stuff like that and that he couldn’t ever come back from running away. 

John B. told him that they had to go home after Disneyworld because they had to go to fifth grade. He didn’t think JJ’s scary dad would miss him so he told him that Pope and his dad would miss them both so they would have to come back.

JJ didn’t answer.

They fell asleep together for a little bit on the beach, using their overly full backpacks as pillows. John B. woke up to JJ pushing him to wake him up and telling him that they could get on the ferry now because it was light out. 

John B. realized that he didn’t have any money for the ferry but JJ pulled out ten whole dollars from his backpack and confessed that he had stolen it from where his dad had left it on the counter. He said it was another reason why he couldn’t go home again.

They walked to the dock where the ferry took off. It took them longer than usual because of JJ’s foot, so John B. gave him a piggyback ride for part of the walk. When they got there, JJ had bought two tickets for the 6:30 ferry. They were lucky they had just turned ten because kids under ten had to travel with an adult. It was only two dollars for each of their tickets since they were kids and it was one way, so they still had a whole six dollars left. 

JJ was a lot happier once the ferry had left the dock and was going towards the mainland. He was talking all about Disneyworld and told John B. that his mom used to tell him she would take him there. John B. said maybe she would be there too and JJ smiled at him.

They ate some more snacks that John B. had packed and by the time they were done, they were about to dock. The ferry docked at a touristy town that had a boardwalk and a big ferris wheel. He thought it looked like how Disneyworld might. There was even an amusement park with roller coasters and other rides. His dad had taken him there a lot over the years and he was excited to be back.

JJ wanted to keep going right away but John B. said they should sneak into the amusement park on the boardwalk and ride some rides first, since they didn’t have a plan for getting to Florida yet. JJ agreed and said they had lots of time anyways.

John B. distracted the guy who checked bracelets, while JJ snuck under the table and grabbed two for them. They put them on in the bathroom and got in with no problem. They rode on the roller coaster five times and went on the Tower of Terror four times. John B. didn’t want to admit that he was getting tired since JJ seemed so full of energy. He didn’t want to make him sad again. 

They spent most of the day on the rides before JJ said he was hungry. They used their last six dollars to buy pizza and soda and sat on a bench by the beach eating it together. 

John B. was busy watching everyone on the Tower of Terror when he noticed JJ had been quiet for awhile. He looked over and saw him asleep on the bench, using his backpack as a pillow again. His mouth was hanging open and he looked really relaxed so John B. didn’t wake him up.

He started getting really worried when he saw that the sun was setting. It had been one thing to sleep on the beach in Kildare since they knew almost everyone there and felt safe. He didn’t know where they were going to sleep here. He wondered if he should call his dad and ask him to pick them up. Maybe his dad would let JJ live with them once he told him what happened. He knew JJ would be mad, but he was getting scared and they had no more money. 

John B. heard a radio behind him and turned as he saw two cops behind him. One pointed to him and JJ and started to walk over. John B. was glad JJ was asleep because he knew he would have tried to run away from them. JJ hated cops.

The cop had asked if he was John Booker Routledge or if he was JJ Maybank. The cop’s partner had crouched down next to JJ and gently shook him awake. When JJ saw that they were surrounded by cops, his eyes got really wide and he stood up. When he saw that the cops had him and John B. trapped, he had sat back down, hugging his backpack and clenching his jaw really tightly. He refused to talk or look at anyone. 

The cops told them that their dads were looking for them and that they were lucky they had found them before it got dark. They said that their dads were really worried about them and that they were going to take them home where they were safe. JJ had looked up when they said that, glaring at the cops but John B. could tell he was just scared and didn’t believe them.

They were ushered off of the bench and taken to the boardwalk parking lot, where the cops helped them into the backseat. One of them had asked JJ what had happened to his foot and why he was limping. John B. told them that JJ had tripped getting off a ride earlier when JJ stayed quiet. The cops were really nice and even let John B. turn on the flashing lights before they left. 

JJ hadn't talked at all, not even when John B. had tried to tell him that they could go to Disneyworld another time. John B. felt bad that JJ was going to have to go home, but he didn’t think his dad would actually kill him. He was scary but there was no way in John B.’s head that a dad would actually kill their kid. He had still squeezed JJ’s hand when they turned into his driveway. JJ squeezed back. 

One of the cops took JJ up to his door and the other stayed in the car with John B. They had asked JJ if he wanted to turn on the siren before he went inside but JJ just stared at the ground. 

John B. had watched as the cop and JJ waited on his front steps for his dad to answer the door. He knew JJ was nervous and hoped that his dad would have cooled down after today. He was sure that JJ’s dad had been worried about him and would be happy to have him back.

He had watched as JJ’s dad answered the door and talked to the cop. He hadn’t looked at JJ for more than a second. The cop had patted JJ on the shoulder as he turned and walked back to the car. John B. had seen JJ’s dad point inside and say something to JJ. He had looked mad. JJ had gone inside, holding his backpack straps tight and the door had slammed behind them. 

When the cops had pulled up to John B.’s house, his dad was waiting outside and gave him a big hug when he got out. He had told his dad he was sorry for running away but said that JJ had needed to. His dad had made him promise to never do that again, even if JJ asked him to. He promised.

John B. didn’t see JJ again for a week.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John B. and JJ create something meaningful for both of them.

John B. hated going to school in the beginning of May and he didn’t even have to ask JJ to know that he hated it too. May meant weeks of working on Mother’s Day projects as a class. 

May meant watching everyone else paint flower pots for their moms while JJ and John B. were given some paper to paint on instead. The whole class had planted seeds in a cup at the end of April and they would all run inside the classroom to check on their flowers every morning. John B. and JJ always took an extra long time putting their backpacks away and getting their stuff that they needed for the day out of their lockers so they could pretend the dumb flowers didn’t exist. 

One time, JJ had tripped Justin when he accidentally pushed JJ in his rush to check on his sprout. JJ had called him a baby and said fifth graders shouldn’t care about ‘shitty’ flowers. John B. had been impressed that he had used a cuss word. Their teacher had taken away all of JJ’s recess and written a note home to his dad. John B. knew the note never made it out of the school because JJ always threw notes away. He was smart like that.

John B. was used to not having a mom. He didn’t remember her and he figured he had it easier than JJ. JJ’s mom was there for one Mother’s Day and gone the next. For the past two years that John B. had known him, he had always taken his time deciding if he was going to participate in making the craft. In fourth grade, John B. noticed that JJ decided he didn’t want to even when he knew JJ’s mom was around.

John B. looked across the classroom and saw JJ painting really fast on his big white paper. He flicked the brush and some of the blue from his paintbrush hit McKenzie on her nose. She told him to say sorry and he just smirked and said nothing. McKenzie raised her hand to tell and JJ said sorry really fast. She put her hand down. 

When their teacher told everyone else to finish up their pots, John B. saw JJ roll his eyes and keep painting. He got some yellow and was painting over the blue just as quickly as before. John B. hadn’t really painted anything so he just put his paper in the trash. On his way back to his desk he stopped and looked at what JJ had painted. 

JJ hadn’t really painted anything either, but he seemed really focused on his work. He was busy smearing the yellow and the blue together and his paper was turning green. He told John B. that it was the ocean, duh.

The rest of the class had returned to their tables after putting their pots in the closet to dry overnight. They were starting to grab the paint trays, cups of water and paintbrushes and clean up. 

JJ refused to stop painting and McKenzie made a dramatic noise when he flicked paint at her again. The teacher came over and told him that it was time to clean up and to apologize to McKenzie. JJ said sorry, but didn’t look up and John B. knew he didn’t mean it.

Their teacher went over to the sink to monitor the paint clean up. Once she was gone, John B. saw McKenzie tell JJ in her bossiest voice that he had to stop painting right now or else. JJ ignored her again. John B. got up to go and help his friend because he could tell he was in a bad mood and he knew he would need backup. McKenzie loved to tell everyone else what to do and JJ hated to be told what to do. 

McKenzie pulled JJ’s paper away from him when he ignored her again and he snatched it back. She told him that his stupid painting wasn’t even important anyways because it’s not like he had a mom to give it to. 

John B. knew he couldn’t push girls but he wasn’t sure if JJ knew that so he went all the way over and stood in between them. He told McKenzie to never say that again and that if she talked to JJ again, he would pop the tires on her bike and she would have to walk all the way to and from school forever. JJ had looked at John B. like he was really tough when he said that and gave him one of his really bright smiles, so John B. knew he had done the right thing. 

McKenzie tattled on both of them, but the teacher could only punish John B. since she said JJ didn’t actually do anything. John B. didn’t even care when they called his dad.

____________________________________________________________________

School wasn’t the only place that was hard to go to during the month of May. Every store had huge displays with pink and purple cards, candy, and flowers for moms. John B. and JJ didn’t go into those stores a whole lot, but if they had to with one of their dads, it was hard. JJ had confessed to John B. that he missed his mom. John B. had confessed that he missed his too.

The day after the painting incident, JJ had come over to John B.’s early in the morning. Ever since they had run away together in the summer, JJ had been coming over to John B.’s more and more at weird hours, day and night.

Sometimes he would crawl in through John B.’s window and just want to sleep over and sometimes he would want them to go on a nighttime or daytime adventure. John B. always made him promise that he wasn’t trying to run away when it happened and JJ always promised that he wasn't. He said he would never run away again because that would mean he wouldn’t have his best friend anymore.

Today, JJ came early and crawled in through John B’s window right as he was packing up his backpack. He told John B. that he had decided that he wasn’t going to go to school today because today was the day that the class was putting their flowers into their pots and taking them home for their moms. He asked John B. if he would come with him on an adventure for the day and John B. had agreed because spending time with JJ was always more exciting than school.

John B. asked JJ if they would get in trouble for not going to school and JJ had said that they probably would, but it would be worth it because they would have so much fun. John B. asked if they should get Pope to come but JJ said it was just for them because they didn’t have moms and Pope did so he wouldn’t understand. 

John B. went and got breakfast while JJ waited in his room since they decided it would be better if Big John didn’t know JJ was here because that would make him suspicious. John B. came back after a little while and handed JJ a cereal bar and he ate it really fast. 

John B. tried to leave his house without his backpack but JJ told him he had to wear his backpack past his dad so he wouldn’t suspect anything. John B. told JJ he was really smart for thinking of that. They agreed that John B. would leave his house like normal and that JJ would meet him at the end of the driveway. JJ snuck out of his window again.

John B. felt a little bad pretending that he was going to school, but JJ told him to stop feeling bad and to start feeling excited because they were going to have way more fun than they would at school. He told John B. that they had to be really careful that they laid low though, because kids weren’t allowed to skip school and if they did, a monster would take them away from their houses and send them to live on the mainland. John B. told him it wasn’t true, but JJ said it was because his dad told him so.

Instead of walking on John B.’s road, they went into the woods and went to their secret spot where there was an old treehouse. It didn’t have a roof, but it kind of had four walls and it was a good enough place for them to stop and plan out their day. 

John B. said that they should try to go swimming at the beach. JJ said that wasn’t a good idea because adults would see them right away and make them go to school. He also said he couldn’t swim right now because his stomach hurt. John B. asked if he was hungry and if he wanted the chips he had saved from his lunch yesterday that were in his backpack. JJ said his stomach didn’t hurt because he was hungry but didn’t say anything else so John B. knew he didn't want to be asked more about it. 

JJ said that they should make a secret hideout. John B. said they already had the treehouse, but JJ said it didn’t have a roof and the walls were falling apart and they could spend today fixing it up so that it was really cool and really secretive. John B. agreed pretty quickly because that sounded awesome. 

The treehouse was in the perfect spot. It was the perfect distance to JJ’s house, John B.’s house and the beach. There weren’t a lot of other trees around it, which was good because other trees fell a lot during hurricanes. It was also in the middle of the woods where no one really walked. 

JJ seemed like he knew exactly what to do so John B. followed his lead. He told John B. that they needed to get as many branches and sticks as they could, and the bigger the better. They spent a few hours running around the woods getting the walls and the roof for their hideout. 

They didn’t have any lunch, but it was okay because they were having so much fun. JJ was really focused and he showed John B. how to stack the sticks just right so that they made a roof. John B. asked JJ how he knew how to do that and JJ just told him he saw it on YouTube. JJ watched a lot of YouTube with Pope so it made sense to John B. 

They managed to finish the roof and they spent the rest of the school day playing in their new hideout. They knew no one would see them if they walked by now. JJ said he could get a tarp from his dad’s shed to put where the walls didn’t reach the roof and John B. said he could get some extra pillows and blankets from his house so they could be comfortable. JJ really liked that idea. 

The school had called home, but both JJ and John B. had managed to erase the voicemails on their answering machines before their dads noticed since JJ made them go home at the perfect time. They decided they might do it again since it was so fun. John B. said they couldn’t do it too often because they would get caught and JJ agreed. 

They worked on the hideout over the weekend and by the end of it, John B. and JJ had managed to create four walls, a roof, a place to store snacks and a big ‘bed’ in the middle with a bunch of old pillows and blankets. JJ wanted to sleep in it right away but John B. said he would need to ask his dad. JJ had said he would ask his too but John B. didn’t see him go in the direction of his house when they split up. 

Big John had said that he couldn’t just sleep alone in the woods because it wasn’t safe and it wasn’t legal. John B. had said he wouldn’t be alone because JJ would be there and Big John said that didn’t count since JJ was a kid too. 

When John B. had told JJ the news he had looked really sad and had told John B. that his dad didn’t care if he slept there and that John B. should just sleep there too. John B. said he had to go home and that JJ should go home too because he shouldn’t sleep alone in the woods without an adult either. JJ hadn’t answered him so John B. had said it again to make sure he knew he was serious and then he had made JJ promise that he wouldn’t sleep out here tonight because they needed to sleep here together for the first time since they both built it. 

JJ’s hair was really long so he looked at John B. through his bangs and said he promised. John B. hadn’t noticed that JJ was secretly crossing his fingers, which meant the promise didn’t count. 

It took John B. until June before he found out that JJ had slept in their hideout that night. And he hated that he didn’t have to ask him why. 

John B. was really mad that JJ had been alone in the woods. JJ said he wasn’t scared and that it had been really cool and that he wouldn’t have been alone if John B. had been there. 

John B. told JJ that he would sneak out tonight and they could sleep there together to celebrate summer if JJ wanted. JJ agreed and gave John B. a really big smile. He talked a mile a minute as he planned out all of the things they could do together. 

John B. snuck out of his window that night and went all the way to JJ’s window, which was different. He told JJ to come out of his room and to hurry up. JJ told him he was the coolest best friend in the world. 

JJ wasn’t going to be alone again as long as John B. was around. He was going to make sure of it. 

That’s what best friends were for.


	4. Chapter 4

When John B. and JJ were in fifth grade, they both were invited to Pope’s birthday party. Actually, all of the boys in the class were invited to his birthday party but Pope didn’t seem to care about their responses. He kept checking and checking with them until they both confirmed that yes they would be there and yes they both would be sleeping over. 

Most parents on the Cut had enough to worry about with their jobs and paying the bills and their own kids, so playdates and sleepovers and parties at each other’s houses weren’t too common. JJ spent a lot of time at John B.’s house since they had became friends, so he had plenty of sleepovers. He just hadn’t been on one himself. And he definitely hadn’t been to a sleepover party.

When he had suggested that they go to JJ’s house one night, JJ had gotten mad and said that they couldn’t go there ever and that that was a stupid idea.

John B. was bouncing off the walls with excitement the whole week leading up to the party. He and his dad had gone over the plans for picking up JJ and getting to Pope’s at least three times the day of. 

He chatted to his dad excitedly the whole way to JJ’s house and he barely waited for him to stop the car before he hopped out and ran over to where JJ was waiting with his backpack on his front steps. They both ran to the car and hopped in. When Big John asked JJ if he had said bye to his dad, he had looked anxious before covering it up with his big smile that John B. knew meant he was lying.

JJ smiled at him and told him that his dad was just out back working on something but he said to say thanks for driving him.

John B. could tell his dad didn’t believe him, but he backed out anyways and headed to Pope’s when John B. told him that they were going to be late. JJ got worried when he saw John B.’s present and realized he didn’t have one but John B. told him Pope wouldn’t care.

John B.’s dad told them to put their seatbelts on as they backed out of JJ’s driveway and JJ said his dad didn’t ever make him wear a seatbelt. John B.’s dad said it was probably because he didn’t drive crazily like him and speed up before slowing down to make them laugh.

When they pulled up to Pope’s, they both ran to the door, knocking before Big John could park. He talked to Pope’s mom while John B. and JJ ran in excitedly, getting extra excited when they saw Pope and all of the snacks laid out.

JJ asked when everyone else was coming and Pope’s mom heard and put her arm around Pope and told them that they were the party. She said the other boys couldn’t make it. 

JJ looked confused and opened his mouth to say more but John B. nudged him when he noticed Pope looked upset. He noticed his dad and Pope’s dad having a serious conversation by the door and changed the subject, asking to see Pope’s room so they could set up for the night.

Pope lit up and dragged them both to his room. JJ threw his stuff down and bounced around Pope’s room, looking at all of his toys and going on and on about the night. He excitedly talked about how they could stay up all night, making prank calls and sneaking out to the beach. 

Pope told him that that sounded cool, but that he wasn’t allowed to leave his house without his parents and that his bedtime was 9:30 so that means they probably all have to listen to those rules tonight. He looked nervous to disappoint JJ. 

JJ told him that he didn’t have a bedtime and that it was Pope’s party so they definitely could stay up all night. He told him that his parents wouldn’t care as long as they left them alone. He looked confused at the idea of them caring what they were up to.

John B. saw that Pope was nervous to say anything against JJ. He was kind of new to being their friend and was pretty different from them in some ways. Still, he was fun and loved to get into trouble, even if he worried about it more than they did.

John B. told them that it was cool and they could have lots of fun before then. He rolled out his sleeping bag and set it up. JJ didn’t have a sleeping bag, but he wasn’t worried and told them that he didn’t care about sleeping on the floor. Pope told him that he could get him some blankets and sheets and JJ liked that idea. 

Pope told them that his parents had ordered pizza and that they should go check to see if it was there yet. JJ immediately asked if they could eat it in his room and Pope looked unsure, saying that he usually ate at the table with his parents. John B. told him that it was his party so they would follow his lead and they went to the kitchen. JJ hung back before following. 

They had dinner with Pope’s parents and JJ made his mom laugh when he told some of his funniest stories that John B. had heard a million times. He still made sure to laugh just as hard. 

Pope’s dad actually laughed at one of JJ’s bad jokes and he ended up choking on some of his soda. He had been watching both of them during dinner out of the corner of his eye, but after that he loosened up and John B. felt JJ relax too.

They watched Pope open a few presents from his parents before John B. got up to get his present. He noticed JJ looking down at his lap and he told Pope loudly that this was from JJ and him. JJ didn’t look up until Pope had opened it and had been excited. He had laughed when Pope ran over and hugged both of them, but John B. could tell he felt proud that Pope liked it.

They had cake and sang to Pope. His mom told him to make a wish and JJ said he didn’t know people actually did that. John B. said that everyone did that and JJ backtracked, saying that he usually didn’t have time to do it because his cake was always so big that he had to blow the candles out quickly. Pope’s mom smiled at him, but John B. could tell she didn’t believe JJ. 

Pope’s mom set them up with a movie and JJ suggested a lot of movies that Pope said he wasn’t allowed to watch. JJ told him that he could watch whatever he wanted at his house and John B. said he couldn’t watch whatever he wanted at his so JJ shrugged and they watched the PG movie Pope had picked. 

They had a food fight with the snacks and laughed so hard they cried, even if they wouldn’t all admit it. Pope’s mom told them it was bedtime and they all complained and she let them watch for a whole hour more, as long as they picked up the snacks. They ate their way through the snacks as their way of cleaning them up.

In Pope’s room, Pope and John B. changed into their pajamas. Pope wore actual pajamas, like from the pajama section at the store. JJ pretended to look through his bag before saying he forgot to bring his. John B. knew that JJ didn’t have a lot of clothes and usually tried to sleep in his clothes from that day or his clothes for the next day. He had brought an extra t-shirt and shorts just in case and passed them to JJ. 

Pope’s parents came in to say goodnight and John B. watched as they both kissed Pope goodnight. He looked at JJ and saw him looking too, before he saw him look away, blinking fast. Pope’s mom squeezed both of their shoulders and his dad told them all to sleep tight and to please try to actually sleep tonight so they all (Pope’s parents and them) didn’t die from exhaustion. They promised while smirking at each other and his dad prayed to the heavens.

They goofed around and dared each other to try stupid things. They froze when they heard Pope’s dad yell at them to go to sleep. John B. and Pope started to laugh again, but JJ got nervous and laid down. He asked if his dad was going to come in here and get mad and Pope said he wouldn’t. He said his dad didn’t actually mean it, he just liked to yell. 

JJ moved Pope’s desk chair and put it under his doorknob. John B. and Pope asked what he was doing and he said he was making sure no monsters could get in. They laughed and said that monsters weren’t real. JJ said they were.

They turned the lights off and got serious and talked about school and their friends and middle school. John B. asked Pope if he knew why no one else could come and he said his parents thought it might be because he was black and some other parents didn’t like that. JJ got angry and threatened to beat the other boys in the class up for Pope and Pope said that wouldn’t help and he was just happy that they came.

Pope fell asleep first and John B. and JJ stayed up whispering. JJ wanted to sneak out and go to the beach but John B. told him it would freak Pope out if he woke up and they were gone. 

John B. asked JJ if he was going to have a party for his birthday since it was next month and JJ told him that he was going to have the biggest party ever. He said his dad told him he could have a huge party at the laser tag place and John B. told him he was lying. He got mad and pretended to be asleep.

The next morning, Pope’s mom came and woke them up and said she had made chocolate chip pancakes. They all jumped up excitedly. JJ told her the pancakes were ‘fucking amazing’ and she told him she appreciated it, but to not use that language. He asked if they had rules like at school about that and she said they did.

John B.’s dad came to pick him up and took JJ too when JJ said his dad probably didn’t remember.

He laughed when they told him about what they had gotten up to. When they got to JJ’s house, JJ popped out and ran towards the house waving. John B.’s dad waved back and turned the car around and John B. looked back. He saw JJ duck to the left and go into the woods by his house instead of inside but he didn’t say anything. 

JJ did weird stuff sometimes. But that’s why John B. loved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When JJ disappears for five weeks he comes back different from before and it's the final addition to their friend group that helps JJ start to heal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is childhood sexual abuse that JJ experiences that is mentioned briefly in this chapter. Please, please don't read if that is something that is harmful for you to read. There is a slightly happy ending, but it's there, so please take care of yourself!

At the end of the summer between fifth and sixth grade, JJ disappeared suddenly without a trace. It took John B. and Pope a few days to notice that he was really, truly gone, used to him disappearing randomly and then popping up again in a great mood, some crazy idea coming out of his mouth at a million miles a minute. 

After four days, they went to his house and waited for two hours for his dad to come home, hoping he was with him. They looked in his window while they waited, Pope deciding that maybe he went on a trip with his dad when they saw his backpack missing.

When JJ’s dad pulled up without him, they started to get worried. His dad wasn’t even that mean to them, he just said that JJ was with his mom and he didn’t know when he would be back. They asked about school since it was starting next week and his dad said he was going to go to school there until he came back. He went into the house, slamming the door and cutting off their questions.

They both talked to their dads, trying to convince them to talk to JJ’s dad to get more information or a phone number. John B. cried when his dad finally got a number and he dialed it and it said it was disconnected. He dialed it everyday for five weeks, upset each time it didn’t go through.

After five weeks of JJ being gone, John B. was woken up early one morning by JJ sliding in through his window. He thought it was a dream at first before breaking out into a huge smile and jumped up, squeezing JJ, almost in tears. 

JJ had squeezed him back and pretended that he wasn’t crying. John B. pretended he wasn’t either. 

When he asked about where he had been, JJ had given him a haunted look and had just shaken his head. He was wearing new clothes that were different from what he usually wore and he looked the same and different at the same time. John B. was bursting with questions, but he let it drop, happy to have his best friend back.

He noticed a deep scratch above JJ’s left eyebrow going up into his temple that looked like it was a few weeks old and he asked about it and he got worried when JJ started shaking and shook his head again. John B. did all he could think of and laid down again and patted next to him for JJ to get in, thinking that maybe he was tired since it was still dark out.

He didn’t get worried initially when JJ suggested that they stay awake and go exploring instead. It wasn’t until JJ had refused to sleep next to him in his bed for the fourth time that Fall that he finally asked him what was wrong and decided that he wouldn’t let him get away with not answering.

JJ went silent for a long time but John B. knew how to be patient when it came to really important things and this was clearly one of them. JJ said a lot of stuff had happened when he was with his mom and that John B. couldn’t tell anyone, especially not his dad or Pope. 

John B. had promised and had laughed when JJ made them do a spit shake to seal the promise. JJ hadn’t laughed. He hadn’t laughed a lot in the month and a half since he came back. 

JJ had told him about a real life monster that had been with him when he stayed with his mom and how the monster had made him sleep in the same bed with him when his mom was out or passed out from her high. He told him how the monster made him do stuff to him, touched him in weird places and made him touch him back. He told him about the violent fights his mom and the monster would have and how she wouldn’t let him call John B. or his dad or Pope or anybody. 

He said the monster had threatened to kill his mom and his dad if he told either of them what he was doing to him. JJ said he still hadn’t told anybody, and that he knew John B. would keep it a secret since he was his best friend. 

John B. didn’t understand what exactly had happened but when he asked questions, JJ had shut down and refused to answer them, changing into one of John B.’s t-shirts instead of one of the new ones he had returned home in a month ago.

He had been doing that a lot; changing as soon as he came over and sometimes even going home in John B.’s clothes. When Pope had asked him why he kept wearing John B.’s clothes, JJ had just shrugged and said his new ones weren’t from home and they felt wrong.

John B. also noticed how JJ was different around his dad when he came over. While he had always been ready to duck or flinch at the sound of Big John’s loud voice, he now tried to leave the room immediately when his dad entered. In the past he would laugh it off and joke with his dad, and now he got an anxious expression and looked for the exit, shifting to the other side of the room. When John B.’s dad had called him out on it, worried and tired of feeling like an aggressor in his own house, JJ had left the house completely, riding his bike away faster than John B. could catch up.

It wasn’t until December that things started to become more normal again. And by things, John B. meant JJ and sleep.

JJ had slowly gone back to his hyper self, daring John B. to do crazy things and challenging him and Pope on adventures and getting in trouble at school. If he didn’t know any better, John B. would have said he was over what had happened when he was with his mom. Except for one thing: he refused to sleep at John B.’s.

In the three years they had been friends, JJ had slept over at John B.’s over a hundred times, always sleeping in his bed next to him, elbows hitting John B. in the face as he slept. Now, it wasn’t just John B.’s bed that he refused to sleep in, it was anywhere in his house. When John B. had suggested that he sleep on his pullout in the living room instead, JJ had climbed out of the window in fear, saying he needed to sleep at home. 

Right when John B. had given up hope of JJ ever sleeping over again, something changed their group forever. 

It was a cold Saturday in December when JJ, John B. and Pope made friends with Kiara and they went from three to four. They had seen her around the island as they all grew up and from the few times they had gone to The Wreck, but she had gone to a different elementary school on her side of the island and they hadn’t crossed paths in any meaningful way. Even as she joined their middle school, they still hadn’t had much interaction, until now.

JJ had gotten into a fight near the designated turtle sanctuary zone on the beach where they all had gone to watch the baby turtles hatch. A boy from Figure Eight had thought it would be funny to throw rocks at the sand where they knew the turtle eggs were buried, waiting to hatch. They heard Kiara yell at him and she walked over to where he was standing, not far from JJ, John B. and Pope, getting everyone’s attention.

As soon as JJ had figured out what was going on, he had shoved the boy as hard as he could away from the sanctuary, throwing one of the little rocks at him when he fell. Kiara had joined in, grabbing the rocks from his hands and throwing them far away from the turtles. JJ kicked the boy a few times before an adult stepped in and yelled at them all to leave. 

John B. knew it was meant to be when Kiara (or “Kie” as she wanted to be called), followed them back to his house and neither JJ or Pope said anything against it. She fit right in, laughing at all of their dumb jokes, talking about issues with Pope and going along with all of JJ’s dares. 

John B. was surprised when she showed up at the end of the school day with JJ so they could all ride the bus back to his house. She made them all friendship bracelets and said it would keep them all safe and make them stay friends as long as they kept them on. John B. had laughed, saying that was girly, but he had stopped when he noticed how seriously JJ took it.

After only three weeks as friends, Kie got permission to sleepover for the night. John B. had noticed how anxious JJ was when Pope had said he could also join, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to make it through the night without leaving to go home. They had planned to sneak out to the beach and come back and stay up late watching movies, JJ pretending that he was going to spend the night too, ignoring John B.’s stare.

John B. made it through two movies before climbing off the pullout where Kie and Pope were sleeping peacefully and heading towards his room. He asked JJ if he was coming with him and JJ shook his head, anxious face illuminated by the tv in the dark living room. John B. told him that he didn’t have to go home and that he should stay and that nothing was going to happen.

JJ had shrugged and tried to laugh it off, saying he wasn’t leaving and he wasn’t a baby, but John B. had doubted he would see him in the morning as he waved and went to bed. 

Three hours later, John B. left his room, tripping in the dark on the way to the bathroom when he noticed his three friends, asleep together on the pullout, JJ in the middle of Pope and Kie, arms all touching. 

He was careful to be quiet as he went to the bathroom, not wanting to wake them up and ruin the moment. He didn’t fully understand what had happened to JJ months ago, but he was sure that Kie joining the group had finally made him realize he was safe when he was with his friends. 

They weren’t going anywhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :) and sorry it was another sad one!


	6. Chapter 6

In fifth grade, John B and JJ tried to save JJ’s dad. 

They learned the words  _ addiction  _ and  _ alcoholism _ and  _ substance abuse _ and John B. thought it was weird that JJ was paying really close attention until he found out why.

John B. knew that JJ had always liked health class, when the guidance counselor came to their classroom once a month to teach them about important issues, but he still thought it was weird that he was seriously asking questions during the class on addiction and alcoholism and the effects of it. 

He also noticed how JJ stopped asking questions when the counselor squatted down next to him and started asking  _ him  _ questions instead when the rest of the class was watching a video.

He teased him about it after as JJ shoved the pamphlets their health teacher had given them into his battered backpack. JJ had shrugged and been weird and quiet instead of joking back and John B. had dropped it when they met up with Pope in the front of the school.

It was warm and sunny out and they convinced Pope to put off their homework to go to the beach and surf. 

JJ and John B. had started surfing exactly one year ago when John B.’s dad had given him a slightly beaten up second hand surfboard for his birthday and a wetsuit. They all shared the board, alternating between teasing each other as they tried to learn and cheering each other on. 

It was something that John B. loved to do, especially with his friends, but JJ was  _ obsessed  _ with it. He couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t jealous of how easily it came to JJ. 

He knew Pope was jealous too, even if he wouldn’t admit it anytime other than at night when they were awake during a sleepover, confessing things they would never confess in the light of day.

They surfed and surfed until the sun began to set, Pope worrying about dinner and his parents and curfews. John B.’s dad didn’t care when he came home, as long as it wasn’t right before bedtime and JJ’s dad didn’t care at all, which was good for them.

John B. had to drag JJ out of the ocean when it officially went from sunset to darkness, pinky promising him that they could come back tomorrow after school. JJ made them dry off on the beach, warm wind drying their hair, even without the sun. 

JJ told John B. that he liked to surf because he didn’t have to think about anything else when he did. He watched as JJ pulled out the pamphlet from health class and gripped it tightly while he talked about surfing. John B. thought that was weird, so he asked him why he had it and what it had to do with surfing. JJ had laughed, but John B. could tell he was anxious about something.

JJ told him that he wanted to know what the pamphlet said and if it could help his dad. He asked John B. if he would read it to him and John B. took it and read off all the parts with no hesitation.

He read out loud about the signs of alcoholism and the hotline numbers and what to do if someone you loved showed signs of alcohol addiction. He read the pamphlet on substance abuse too when JJ pulled it out from his backpack and passed it to him, listening really carefully.

He got excited and told John B. that he thought he finally knew why his dad was always so mad and angry and that this could finally fix him.

John B. knew what JJ’s dad was like and was doubtful, but he pretended to be excited for JJ’s sake. He asked JJ what the plan was and he told him to pass him back the pamphlets and that he would tell him in a few days.

Three days later, John B. found himself in the same situation, but this time it was Saturday and it was sunny and warm and he had stolen a bunch of snacks from home that he and JJ were eating on the beach after surfing for hours. 

He noticed JJ was animated and distracted and was laughing at the wrong parts of his story and was more focused on trying to bury him with sand than what he was saying. He retaliated by throwing sand on him and it got in his eyes but JJ just laughed and did it back to him.

JJ finally revealed “The Plan” an hour later when they had gone back into the ocean to keep surfing and John B. had to swim around, avoiding JJ on the surfboard as he came in after each wave, waiting for his turn. 

JJ stopped the board right by John B. and John B. climbed on, tired of swimming, planning on shoving JJ off to reclaim his board but JJ grabbed on and looked at him.

He told him about how he wanted John B. to help him make a poster for his dad with the reasons for why he should get help and why it would make him feel happier and how he could help him get rid of his addiction.

John B. knew JJ couldn’t read or write very well, they had been in the same reading group until this year when JJ was in the really low group even though he was still pushed ahead to fifth grade with no one looking twice. He knew JJ’s dad though and he wasn’t sure he was someone who would appreciate a poster because he usually got mad if you even said ‘hi’ to him.

He said that to JJ but JJ was excited and happy and said that his dad would definitely be able to get better if he just showed him how and that the reason he was so angry all the time is because he didn’t know he had an addiction. 

JJ said it must be because he didn’t know how to stop and that if they could just show him how, then he would get all better. John B. didn’t know what to say when he said he couldn’t save his mom but he wanted to save his dad before it was too late. He didn’t really know what he meant so he just agreed with him.

John B. knew that JJ was pretty much unstoppable once he had an idea in his head so he got on board and distracted the cashier at the convenience store the next day while JJ shoved a packet of brightly colored construction paper up his sweatshirt because they couldn’t steal poster board. They went back the day after so JJ could steal a roll of tape and markers and they taped all the pieces of colorful paper together at John B.’s. 

JJ pulled out the pamphlet from school and John B. didn’t know why but his stomach clenched when he saw how battered it was, like JJ had been looking at it a lot over the past week, even though he knew he couldn’t really read it. 

He asked John B. to read it for him again and John B. listed off the signs that someone had an addiction to alcohol and the number to the hotline. 

JJ was really fixated on the hotline number and told John B. to use one of the big markers to write that really big at the top of their makeshift poster.

John B. wrote it really big and really slowly because JJ kept getting worried when he messed up the tape holding the papers together, even though normally JJ wouldn’t care about that.

They wrote a few more things and JJ made him add a section about why his dad should call the number. John B. wrote down his reasons and stopped writing when his dad came in.

He asked them what they were working on and JJ told him, and John B. knew he was proud of his plan and that he thought he had finally figured it all out because usually he would never talk about this with his dad. 

John B.’s dad read the poster with a crease between his eyebrows before patting JJ awkwardly on the back and telling him that he hoped his plan worked. He didn’t know if his dad just didn’t notice or ignored the way JJ flinched away at first from his hand.

They worked on their poster for another thirty minutes before John B.’s dad made them stop to eat. JJ kept checking it to make sure it was okay on the table in the living room and Big John offered to roll it up and tape it closed for him before shutting himself back in his office. 

John B. was forced over to JJ’s house the next day after school, his friend bouncing around excitedly and nervously by his side, talking a hundred miles a minute as they walked down the road towards his house from the bus stop. 

JJ told John B. that he wanted him to read the poster to his dad in case he didn’t know some of the words, but John B. knew he also wanted him there for support. He knew how nervous he was. 

When they went into JJ’s house, John B. had to walk really carefully to get through the living room, junk everywhere but JJ went ahead to find his dad easily. John B. figured he was used to the messiness.

John B. noticed how JJ’s mood changed pretty quickly when they went inside and it really changed when they found his mean and scary dad laying on the couch, asleep. 

JJ said they would have to try tomorrow instead and John B. asked why they didn’t just wake him up when he was sleeping. JJ told him he was stupid and that his dad wasn’t really sleeping. John B. didn’t want to look like he didn’t understand so he nodded, even though he had no idea what his dad was doing if he wasn’t sleeping.

They tried again the next day after school and this time they found JJ’s mean and scary dad awake in the kitchen in a semi good mood and he threw a bag of chips towards JJ, telling him to share them with John B. JJ got really excited at that, like it was something way cooler than it was, which John B. thought was weird, but JJ got excited about weird things sometimes. 

JJ told his dad that he and John B. had something to show him and he left John B. alone with his dad for a minute so he could go get his poster and JJ’s dad asked him about his own dad before grabbing a beer and going to sit on the couch in their messy living room, feet on the table.

JJ came out with his poster and John B. went over to him so he could help JJ unroll it and his dad looked like he thought it was funny until they held it up and he saw what it said.

John B. wasn’t sure if JJ just didn’t notice or was ignoring it on purpose because he still told John B. to start reading it. He got through two lines before JJ’s dad told him to get out and JJ got really quiet, too. 

John B. looked at JJ to see what he should do but JJ was trying to explain why they made the poster before his dad gave him a scary look and he stopped talking. He told John B. to get the fuck out and John B. didn’t want to leave JJ there, but he didn’t know what else to do since no grown up ever said that to him. 

He told himself that maybe JJ’s dad didn’t want John B. to know about his problem too and he wanted just JJ to try to help him, even though he knew that wasn’t true deep down.

He walked towards the door and tried to get JJ to come too, but JJ shook his head, holding the poster and he heard a rip when his dad ripped it out of his hands. 

John B. turned around at that because he knew it was important to JJ but his dad told him to get out before he called his dad and told him what he had done so he left after telling JJ he would see him at the beach later, like they had planned. 

He didn’t know what they had done wrong that JJ’s dad could tell his dad but he didn’t want to find out because sometimes his dad randomly tried to ground him when he did something really bad and he really wanted to go surfing with JJ later.

JJ never showed up to go surfing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know JJ is currently on the run and a 'fugitive in a treehouse' trying to avoid juvie in Ocean Breathes Salty and I will get to that very soon! But since that story is covering trying to get Luke some help/the effects on JJ, this came into my head because this definitely had to have happened at some point.
> 
> Thanks for reading and hopefully it wasn't too sad 😭!


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